Laxpras
One small yeet for man, one giant yeet for mankind
[OVERVIEW]
Lucario has both excellent physical and special attacking stats, giving it the role of an unpredictable offensive presence. Access to Extreme Speed gives it powerful priority, making it a perfect candidate to take advantage of Refrigerate, further increasing the number of roles it can fill. Having both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot allows Lucario to become incredibly strong with both physical and special sets. With access to solid coverage moves like Dark Pulse and Crunch, Lucario is difficult to check, and its 4x resistance to Stealth Rock allows it to switch in often. However, Lucario has a mediocre Speed stat that causes it to lose to many offensive threats. It also has poor bulk, leaving it especially vulnerable to being revenge killed. Its secondary typing gives it several key weaknesses in the AAA metagame, without providing good STAB moves. Overall, Lucario is a strong attacker that has great boosting and priority moves that provide it with the versatility to fill several roles excellently.
[SET]
name: Physical Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is pivotal for raising Lucario's Attack to a level that allows wallbreaking. Close Combat takes full advantage of Lucario's typing and Attack stat, with few setbacks. Extreme Speed makes up for Lucario's mediocre Speed by providing it with a strong Tough Claws-boosted priority move. Crunch is boosted by Tough Claws and provides coverage for Lucario's main counter, Doublade, as well as other Ghost- and Psychic-types.
Set Details
========
Using a Life Orb gives a significant boost to Lucario's Attack. Tough Claws provides a sizable boost to all of Lucario's moves that make contact, which suits its movepool perfectly. An Adamant nature is preferred to maximize its wallbreaking ability, in addition to a Jolly nature failing to reach a key Speed benchmark. However, Jolly can be used to outspeed certain threats such as Entei, preventing them from revenge killing Lucario. The EVs are set to maximize Lucario's Attack and Speed.
Usage Tips
========
This set looks to get a Swords Dance boost whenever possible. Bringing Lucario in on slower foes provides the opportunity to do so, or at least to unleash a powerful Close Combat. Using a slow Volt Switch or U-turn is a great way to get Lucario into this position. Users must be wary of paralysis and burns; Suicune in particular should not be taken on unless Lucario is already boosted, and even if Lucario is boosted, an Unaware Suicune can take it down. Pairing Lucario with a strong special attacker is a great way to provide double switch opportunities to eliminate special walls.
Team Options
========
Special attackers such as Adaptability Latios appreciate Lucario's ability to eliminate special walls. Status absorbers such as Poison Heal Suicune and Mandibuzz pair well with Lucario. Suicune in particular is a great teammate as it can also switch into Doublade. Storm Drain Zapdos or Rotom-H are more great teammates, as they can eliminate Suicune and provide momentum with Volt Switch. Primordial Sea Rotom-W can switch into Fire-type attackers and Gale Wings users, as well as provide momentum with Volt Switch. Mold Breaker Deoxys-S is a great way to spread entry hazards, which make Lucario's job much easier.
[SET]
name: -ate Speed Abuser
move 1: Extreme Speed
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Crunch / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
ability: Refrigerate
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance brings Lucario's Attack to a devastating level. Refrigerate-boosted Extreme Speed perfectly complements a Fighting STAB move, in addition to making up for Lucario's mediocre Speed. Close Combat is a very powerful STAB move with only a minor setback, allowing Lucario to break through most foes that aren't extremely physically bulky. The fourth move choice depends on the team's coverage needs. Crunch hits Levitate Doublade, which is Lucario's main check, while Stone Edge hits Volcarona and Moltres.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is the best item choice, as it significantly boosts Lucario's power while still allowing it to use Swords Dance. Adamant is the preferred nature, as it maxmizes Lucario's Attack without missing out on a key Speed benchmark; Jolly, however, does let Lucario outspeed specific threats, such as Entei. The EVs are set to maximize Lucario's Attack and Speed.
Usage Tips
========
Use Volt Switch or U-turn to get Lucario in safely. Taking advantage of predictable switches by the opponent to get a Swords Dance up can change a game. Lucario can be used to offensively check most Gale Wings users; however, it cannot switch in to them. It cannot take on physical walls such as Suicune and Hippowdon, unless it has previously gotten boosts up. Users must be wary of status, as a burn or paralysis will significantly decrease Lucario's effectiveness.
Team Options
========
Checks and pivot options to Doublade are very important; Zapdos and Suicune fill this role well. Volt Switch and U-turn users are great choices to give Lucario momentum. Tough Claws Scizor and Genesect as well as Storm Drain Rotom-H have good synergy with Lucario. Sheer Force special attackers such as Thundurus-T are good options to defeat bulky walls that Lucario struggles with, mainly Mew and Suicune.
[SET]
name: Special Setup Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Aura Sphere / Focus Blast
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Vacuum Wave / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb
ability: Adaptability / Sheer Force
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot brings Lucario's Special Attack to soaring heights after one boost. Aura Sphere is the preferred STAB option for Adaptability sets, while Focus blast gets boosted by both ability options and hits harder than Aura Sphere, but it comes with a high miss rate. Flash Cannon also gets boosted by both Adaptability and Sheer Force, and it provides Lucario with a strong secondary STAB move to hit foes that resist Fighting-type moves. Vacuum Wave is a special STAB priority move that gets boosted by Adaptability and often surprises opponents; it makes up for Lucario's mediocre Speed and works especially well on Modest sets. Dark Pulse should be heavily considered over Vacuum Wave when you're using Sheer Force, as it makes Lucario able to deal with Doublade.
Set Details
========
Adaptability makes Lucario's STAB moves stronger and works great with Vacuum Wave to beat some Gale Wings users. However, Sheer Force also provides a boost to Dark Pulse, giving Lucario more versatility. Life Orb boosts all of Lucario's moves while still allowing it to use Nasty Plot. The EVs are set to maximize Lucario's Special Attack and Speed. Modest is the preferred nature because Lucario does not reach a crucial Speed tier if running Timid. In addition, Modest Adaptability-boosted Vacuum Wave is more than enough to make up for Lucario's mediocre Speed.
Usage Tips
========
This set holds the surprise factor for opponents expecting a physical attacker, which allows Lucario to KO physical walls or get up a Nasty Plot boost. Bringing Lucario in during situations where it would be suspected that it is physical plays to this deceitfulness. With Adaptability, a Modest nature, and Life Orb, Lucario gets a guaranteed surprise KO on most Gale Wings users after one boost and Stealth Rock damage. Entry Hazards are thus important for lowering foes' initial HP levels. Lucario works very well as a late-game sweeper when its checks and counters have been eliminated.
Team Options
========
Deoxys-S and Deoxys-D are both excellent for spamming entry hazards. Adaptability Tyranitar pairs well with Adaptability Lucario, as it can Pursuit trap bulky Psychic-types as well as beat many special walls. Latios is another great partner, as it loves taking advantage of Lucario weakening opposing walls. Also, Latios beats certain threats that outspeed Lucario, such as Garchomp. A reliable special wall, such as RegenVest Escavalier, is a great partner to take on foes that outspeed Lucario and resist Vacuum Wave, such as Latios.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Using a Choice Band set with Tough Claws provides Lucario with immediate wallbreaking power, but it loses its niche of having access to Swords Dance. Iron Tail and Ice Punch can also be considered on Tough Claws sets to hit threats like Togekiss and Gliscor. A Scrappy set can surprise Doublade and other Ghost-types. Mixed Adaptability sets take advantage of Lucario's great stats in both its special and physical attacking categories, allowing it to beat many of its usual checks. A Lum Berry can be considered on physical sets, as it can cure Lucario of a burn or paralysis and give it a better chance against Scald users such as Suicune.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Doublade**: Doublade is Lucario's main counter, as it resists Steel and is immune to Fighting. It also beats Lucario with the combination of Sacred Sword and Shadow Sneak. Crunch and Dark Pulse are Lucario's way of dealing with Doublade, but they do not KO it without prior boosts from Swords Dance or Nasty Plot, respectively.
**Skarmory**: Skarmory survives a boosted Close Combat and is a Gale Wings user that is not weak to Refrigerate-boosted Extreme Speed. Its Brave Bird OHKOes Lucario after a Close Combat Defense drop. Also, bulkier Skarmory sets can often switch in on Lucario's attack and use Brave Bird or Counter to deal significant damage in return.
**Bulky Intimidate Users**: Intimidate Hippowdon can switch in on and wall Lucario and defeat it with Earthquake. Zapdos also switches in on the Tough Claws set. Gliscor is another great user that can switch into the Tough Claws set, while Skarmory can switch into the Refrigerate set. All of these threaten Lucario by being able to reliably switch into its attacks, and then defeat it in a head-to-head match up.
**Bulky Poison Heal Users**: Suicune survives unboosted hits from Lucario and threatens back with Scald burns, greatly threatening Lucario's physical sets. Cresselia is another Poison Heal user that defeats many physical Lucario sets, as it resists Close Combat and can deal decent damage with Psyshock, or get Calm Mind boosts up. To beat Poison Heal checks, Lucario needs to get a Swords Dance or Nasty Plot boost up.
Lucario has both excellent physical and special attacking stats, giving it the role of an unpredictable offensive presence. Access to Extreme Speed gives it powerful priority, making it a perfect candidate to take advantage of Refrigerate, further increasing the number of roles it can fill. Having both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot allows Lucario to become incredibly strong with both physical and special sets. With access to solid coverage moves like Dark Pulse and Crunch, Lucario is difficult to check, and its 4x resistance to Stealth Rock allows it to switch in often. However, Lucario has a mediocre Speed stat that causes it to lose to many offensive threats. It also has poor bulk, leaving it especially vulnerable to being revenge killed. Its secondary typing gives it several key weaknesses in the AAA metagame, without providing good STAB moves. Overall, Lucario is a strong attacker that has great boosting and priority moves that provide it with the versatility to fill several roles excellently.
[SET]
name: Physical Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Crunch
item: Life Orb
ability: Tough Claws
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is pivotal for raising Lucario's Attack to a level that allows wallbreaking. Close Combat takes full advantage of Lucario's typing and Attack stat, with few setbacks. Extreme Speed makes up for Lucario's mediocre Speed by providing it with a strong Tough Claws-boosted priority move. Crunch is boosted by Tough Claws and provides coverage for Lucario's main counter, Doublade, as well as other Ghost- and Psychic-types.
Set Details
========
Using a Life Orb gives a significant boost to Lucario's Attack. Tough Claws provides a sizable boost to all of Lucario's moves that make contact, which suits its movepool perfectly. An Adamant nature is preferred to maximize its wallbreaking ability, in addition to a Jolly nature failing to reach a key Speed benchmark. However, Jolly can be used to outspeed certain threats such as Entei, preventing them from revenge killing Lucario. The EVs are set to maximize Lucario's Attack and Speed.
Usage Tips
========
This set looks to get a Swords Dance boost whenever possible. Bringing Lucario in on slower foes provides the opportunity to do so, or at least to unleash a powerful Close Combat. Using a slow Volt Switch or U-turn is a great way to get Lucario into this position. Users must be wary of paralysis and burns; Suicune in particular should not be taken on unless Lucario is already boosted, and even if Lucario is boosted, an Unaware Suicune can take it down. Pairing Lucario with a strong special attacker is a great way to provide double switch opportunities to eliminate special walls.
Team Options
========
Special attackers such as Adaptability Latios appreciate Lucario's ability to eliminate special walls. Status absorbers such as Poison Heal Suicune and Mandibuzz pair well with Lucario. Suicune in particular is a great teammate as it can also switch into Doublade. Storm Drain Zapdos or Rotom-H are more great teammates, as they can eliminate Suicune and provide momentum with Volt Switch. Primordial Sea Rotom-W can switch into Fire-type attackers and Gale Wings users, as well as provide momentum with Volt Switch. Mold Breaker Deoxys-S is a great way to spread entry hazards, which make Lucario's job much easier.
[SET]
name: -ate Speed Abuser
move 1: Extreme Speed
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Crunch / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
ability: Refrigerate
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance brings Lucario's Attack to a devastating level. Refrigerate-boosted Extreme Speed perfectly complements a Fighting STAB move, in addition to making up for Lucario's mediocre Speed. Close Combat is a very powerful STAB move with only a minor setback, allowing Lucario to break through most foes that aren't extremely physically bulky. The fourth move choice depends on the team's coverage needs. Crunch hits Levitate Doublade, which is Lucario's main check, while Stone Edge hits Volcarona and Moltres.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is the best item choice, as it significantly boosts Lucario's power while still allowing it to use Swords Dance. Adamant is the preferred nature, as it maxmizes Lucario's Attack without missing out on a key Speed benchmark; Jolly, however, does let Lucario outspeed specific threats, such as Entei. The EVs are set to maximize Lucario's Attack and Speed.
Usage Tips
========
Use Volt Switch or U-turn to get Lucario in safely. Taking advantage of predictable switches by the opponent to get a Swords Dance up can change a game. Lucario can be used to offensively check most Gale Wings users; however, it cannot switch in to them. It cannot take on physical walls such as Suicune and Hippowdon, unless it has previously gotten boosts up. Users must be wary of status, as a burn or paralysis will significantly decrease Lucario's effectiveness.
Team Options
========
Checks and pivot options to Doublade are very important; Zapdos and Suicune fill this role well. Volt Switch and U-turn users are great choices to give Lucario momentum. Tough Claws Scizor and Genesect as well as Storm Drain Rotom-H have good synergy with Lucario. Sheer Force special attackers such as Thundurus-T are good options to defeat bulky walls that Lucario struggles with, mainly Mew and Suicune.
[SET]
name: Special Setup Sweeper
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Aura Sphere / Focus Blast
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Vacuum Wave / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb
ability: Adaptability / Sheer Force
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot brings Lucario's Special Attack to soaring heights after one boost. Aura Sphere is the preferred STAB option for Adaptability sets, while Focus blast gets boosted by both ability options and hits harder than Aura Sphere, but it comes with a high miss rate. Flash Cannon also gets boosted by both Adaptability and Sheer Force, and it provides Lucario with a strong secondary STAB move to hit foes that resist Fighting-type moves. Vacuum Wave is a special STAB priority move that gets boosted by Adaptability and often surprises opponents; it makes up for Lucario's mediocre Speed and works especially well on Modest sets. Dark Pulse should be heavily considered over Vacuum Wave when you're using Sheer Force, as it makes Lucario able to deal with Doublade.
Set Details
========
Adaptability makes Lucario's STAB moves stronger and works great with Vacuum Wave to beat some Gale Wings users. However, Sheer Force also provides a boost to Dark Pulse, giving Lucario more versatility. Life Orb boosts all of Lucario's moves while still allowing it to use Nasty Plot. The EVs are set to maximize Lucario's Special Attack and Speed. Modest is the preferred nature because Lucario does not reach a crucial Speed tier if running Timid. In addition, Modest Adaptability-boosted Vacuum Wave is more than enough to make up for Lucario's mediocre Speed.
Usage Tips
========
This set holds the surprise factor for opponents expecting a physical attacker, which allows Lucario to KO physical walls or get up a Nasty Plot boost. Bringing Lucario in during situations where it would be suspected that it is physical plays to this deceitfulness. With Adaptability, a Modest nature, and Life Orb, Lucario gets a guaranteed surprise KO on most Gale Wings users after one boost and Stealth Rock damage. Entry Hazards are thus important for lowering foes' initial HP levels. Lucario works very well as a late-game sweeper when its checks and counters have been eliminated.
Team Options
========
Deoxys-S and Deoxys-D are both excellent for spamming entry hazards. Adaptability Tyranitar pairs well with Adaptability Lucario, as it can Pursuit trap bulky Psychic-types as well as beat many special walls. Latios is another great partner, as it loves taking advantage of Lucario weakening opposing walls. Also, Latios beats certain threats that outspeed Lucario, such as Garchomp. A reliable special wall, such as RegenVest Escavalier, is a great partner to take on foes that outspeed Lucario and resist Vacuum Wave, such as Latios.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Using a Choice Band set with Tough Claws provides Lucario with immediate wallbreaking power, but it loses its niche of having access to Swords Dance. Iron Tail and Ice Punch can also be considered on Tough Claws sets to hit threats like Togekiss and Gliscor. A Scrappy set can surprise Doublade and other Ghost-types. Mixed Adaptability sets take advantage of Lucario's great stats in both its special and physical attacking categories, allowing it to beat many of its usual checks. A Lum Berry can be considered on physical sets, as it can cure Lucario of a burn or paralysis and give it a better chance against Scald users such as Suicune.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Doublade**: Doublade is Lucario's main counter, as it resists Steel and is immune to Fighting. It also beats Lucario with the combination of Sacred Sword and Shadow Sneak. Crunch and Dark Pulse are Lucario's way of dealing with Doublade, but they do not KO it without prior boosts from Swords Dance or Nasty Plot, respectively.
**Skarmory**: Skarmory survives a boosted Close Combat and is a Gale Wings user that is not weak to Refrigerate-boosted Extreme Speed. Its Brave Bird OHKOes Lucario after a Close Combat Defense drop. Also, bulkier Skarmory sets can often switch in on Lucario's attack and use Brave Bird or Counter to deal significant damage in return.
**Bulky Intimidate Users**: Intimidate Hippowdon can switch in on and wall Lucario and defeat it with Earthquake. Zapdos also switches in on the Tough Claws set. Gliscor is another great user that can switch into the Tough Claws set, while Skarmory can switch into the Refrigerate set. All of these threaten Lucario by being able to reliably switch into its attacks, and then defeat it in a head-to-head match up.
**Bulky Poison Heal Users**: Suicune survives unboosted hits from Lucario and threatens back with Scald burns, greatly threatening Lucario's physical sets. Cresselia is another Poison Heal user that defeats many physical Lucario sets, as it resists Close Combat and can deal decent damage with Psyshock, or get Calm Mind boosts up. To beat Poison Heal checks, Lucario needs to get a Swords Dance or Nasty Plot boost up.
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